X5 quick review
Well, this is a nice little box. The specs as posted by Ryu in a previous thread.
This is one of the first boxes with external antenna since the 3000 series boxes.
It comes with the new BT400 bluetooth remote. And typical of BuzzTV, they included a set of Energizer max AAA batteries (not some cheap no name ones).
A 5V, 2A USB block, with a USB to barrel power connector to be able to power the box. The barrel connector seems to be the same size as many other buzz boxes (like 4500 and and the older blocks will probably work on this box also).
PS: As mentioned by dishuser below, ** don't try using the 4900 power supply as it is a 12V power supply (not 5V like others) **.
The USB block is very slim, and will NOT block any second outlet on a wall plug, and most probably not on most power bars either. Nice touch, it comes with interchangeable, plug ends. By default the unit I received had the North american standard plug end installed, but it also includes replaceable end, for European and UK style plugs.
Box also includes a basic HDMI cable.
The casing itself is a great quality. It seems to be 100% aluminum. No plastic here, other than the lens cover for the LED and IR sensor on the front, and the antenna covers. 4 chrome screws on the top 4 corners, which contrast against the matte black case, and the top has the white/black honeycomb pattern on it, with chrome trimming. The antenna connectors are in a gold colors material. I found that 1 antenna on the unit I received was a little lose on the case (but nothing a small 3/16" wrench could not fix in seconds).
The remote is Bluetooth. A few of the buttons are in different locations from what some other buzz remotes are, so a little getting used to is required. After using it for a few hours, it was no longer an issue. I love the backlight. It is NOT too bright, I find it is subtle, effective and just right. I have no clue on how much it affects the battery life however (haven't used it long enough). The color keys can also be programmed as shortcuts also. The quick manual for the remote can be seen here:
When you power the unit up for the first time, after the intro, the first screen you are faced with, is to pair the remote, and that is quite simple and self explanatory. After that you have a sequence of typical questions to set Language, TimeZone, Resolution, Screen size [zoom in/out] and then the network connection (I was testing WiFi for this test, even though typically all my media boxes are hardwired). I ran into a glitch during the WiFi setup. I entered the wrong password during the first try (surprise surprise with all the passwords we have). However after that, I ended up in some strange loop, and even though I'd select the correct SSID and try to put the password, it would ask me manual questions as if I was setting up some bling SSID (like encryption type, etc.. and even though they were correct it would refuse to connect). At this point I just power cycled the unit, and since the initial setup was not complete, it just started over. This time I used the correct credentials for my WiFi and it continued and completed normally.Code:https://buzztv.com/site/smart-remote/
Once it completed, it went ahead, checked for update, and then installed a few apps (like Prime Video, chrome, disney+, etc..).
Launched Live TV, and used one of my own playlists which I maintain with some free streams, and it was super quick. Switched to a few channels, and one thing I noticed immediately is that the player (it comes by default with the secondary player selected for live tv), is quite improved. I had one channel where the video plays flawlessly on my PC, but has had issues on all my Buzz boxes (xpl3000, 4500, 4900, E2, etc..) and plays video at about 10FPSOn the X5, it worked great. Switched to a few channels which had a few Stanley cups games, and they all tuned in quickly and they were very smooth.
I then configured it with my wicked sub, and you can tell that this CPU is quite a bit more powerful than most previous generations. Guess with combination of the updated player, and new CPU, channels would tune in pretty quickly. I then switch to some FullHD channels, and ran them for a good half hour and they were super smooth (even on WiFi). None of my other boxes (including the 4900) have been this stable when using WiFi (even though I have enterprise grade WiFi access points, due to many cinder block walls, and steel beams in my place, wifi streaming has always been an issue with most boxes. This box was solid for over 4 hours. And I am assuming the aluminum case is used as a heatsink for the CPU, but honestly it did not even feel warm to the touch, which is a good thing.
For those who care about the OS, it comes with Android TV OS version 11, with security patch level Oct 1, 2021. TV OS build: 20220430.20220328.
I have not experienced any major show stopper bugs yet. A few minor UI issues (both in main OS UI, and in buzzTV 5 UI), but nothing major. I will compile those and make a separate posting on that.
But overall, very impressed with new box.
Thanks again.
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Originally Posted by dishuser
